
Takedown
Inside the Fight to Shut Down Pornhub for Child Abuse, Rape, and Sex Trafficking
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Laila Mickelwait
-
By:
-
Laila Mickelwait
About this listen
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
The gripping true story of one woman’s battle to expose and shut down a criminal online porn empire.
Pornhub was the 10th most visited site on the Internet, often praised as a progressive champion of women. Then one day, an activist discovered a secret they had been keeping from the world for over a decade: it was infested with child sexual abuse and rape videos.
Now for the first time, anti-trafficking expert and mother of two Laila Mickelwait tells the story of her battle against Pornhub’s billionaire executives and the credit card companies who helped them monetize the abuse of countless victims—some as young as three years old. Listeners will follow her from her first horrifying discovery of criminal content on Pornhub to closed-door meetings with credit card executives, White House and Justice Department senior officials, a powerful hedge-fund manager and more. Through insider accounts from Pornhub moderators and executives, you’ll meet the world’s first online porn tycoon, AKA “the Zuckerberg of porn,” along with Pornhub’s top brass (known internally as “The Bro Club”) who operate in secrecy.
The culmination of years of activism, Takedown is the true, never before told story of how Mickelwait mobilized a movement of two million people and together they accomplished "the biggest takedown of content in Internet history." (Financial Times)
©2024 Laila Mickelwait (P)2024 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Dark Traffic
- The Dangerous Intersection of Technology, Crime, Money, Sex, and Humanity
- By: Noel Thomas, Rob Suggs - contributor
- Narrated by: Noel Thomas
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As co-founder and CEO of Dark Watch, author Noel Thomas has led United States law enforcement and the judicial system into the new battleground, where high-tech data analysis is changing how criminals are caught and prosecuted. Dark Traffic arrives on a new wave of media attention and actions at the federal, state, and local government levels, and informs listeners how they can play a role in identifying and helping stop trafficking that occurs in their own neighborhood. Noel’s story of how he became aware of the issue is proof.
By: Noel Thomas, and others
-
Inspiration: Your Ultimate Calling
- By: Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
- Narrated by: Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
- Length: 1 hr and 33 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's a voice in the universe calling each of us to remember our purpose, our reason for being here now, in this world of impermanence. The voice whispers, shouts, and sings to us that this experience of being in form, in space and time, knowing life and death, has meaning. The voice is that of inspiration, which is within each and every one of us. In this groundbreaking audiobook, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer explains how we've chosen to enter this world of particles and form.
-
-
Re-cycled
- By Paul on 04-24-06
-
In Our Backyard
- Human Trafficking in America and What We Can Do to Stop It
- By: Nita Belles
- Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Human trafficking is not just something that happens in other countries. Nor is it something that just happens to "other people," such as runaways or the disenfranchised. Even kids in your own neighborhood can fall victim. But they don't have to.
-
-
A good entry to learning about HT
- By Justicepirate on 12-05-16
By: Nita Belles
-
Girls Like Us
- Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale, an Activist Finds Her Calling and Heals Herself
- By: Rachel Lloyd
- Narrated by: Rachel Lloyd
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During her teens, Rachel Lloyd ended up a victim of commercial sexual exploitation. With time, through incredible resilience, and with the help of a local church community, she finally broke free of her pimp and her past and devoted herself to helping other young girls escape "the life". In Girls Like Us, Lloyd reveals the dark world of commercial sex trafficking in cinematic detail and tells the story of her groundbreaking nonprofit organization: GEMS.
-
-
Rachel Lloyd is an Amazing Woman
- By joan m. on 01-14-22
By: Rachel Lloyd
-
Them Before Us
- Why We Need a Global Children's Rights Movement
- By: Katy Faust, Stacy Manning
- Narrated by: Katy Faust
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This well-researched book identifies the wide-ranging harms resulting from mother- and father-loss, and it provides a roadmap for effective children’s rights advocacy. Whether you’re seeking to make sense of your own fractured childhood, or yearn to prevent similar struggles for the next generation, Them Before Us will equip you to be the adult who should have advocated for you as a child. By defending children’s rights, we protect the heart of every child and set a course that will decimate a myriad of the social ills currently plaguing our world.
-
-
well...
- By Milea Kirst on 12-12-24
By: Katy Faust, and others
-
Barbarians Inside the Gates and Other Controversial Essays
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Leon Nixon
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A collection of essays that discusses such issues as the media, immigration, the minimum wage, and multiculturalism.
-
-
Mr. Sowell exposed the soul of America.
- By rutituti. on 11-24-23
By: Thomas Sowell
-
Dark Traffic
- The Dangerous Intersection of Technology, Crime, Money, Sex, and Humanity
- By: Noel Thomas, Rob Suggs - contributor
- Narrated by: Noel Thomas
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As co-founder and CEO of Dark Watch, author Noel Thomas has led United States law enforcement and the judicial system into the new battleground, where high-tech data analysis is changing how criminals are caught and prosecuted. Dark Traffic arrives on a new wave of media attention and actions at the federal, state, and local government levels, and informs listeners how they can play a role in identifying and helping stop trafficking that occurs in their own neighborhood. Noel’s story of how he became aware of the issue is proof.
By: Noel Thomas, and others
-
Inspiration: Your Ultimate Calling
- By: Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
- Narrated by: Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
- Length: 1 hr and 33 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There's a voice in the universe calling each of us to remember our purpose, our reason for being here now, in this world of impermanence. The voice whispers, shouts, and sings to us that this experience of being in form, in space and time, knowing life and death, has meaning. The voice is that of inspiration, which is within each and every one of us. In this groundbreaking audiobook, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer explains how we've chosen to enter this world of particles and form.
-
-
Re-cycled
- By Paul on 04-24-06
-
In Our Backyard
- Human Trafficking in America and What We Can Do to Stop It
- By: Nita Belles
- Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Human trafficking is not just something that happens in other countries. Nor is it something that just happens to "other people," such as runaways or the disenfranchised. Even kids in your own neighborhood can fall victim. But they don't have to.
-
-
A good entry to learning about HT
- By Justicepirate on 12-05-16
By: Nita Belles
-
Girls Like Us
- Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale, an Activist Finds Her Calling and Heals Herself
- By: Rachel Lloyd
- Narrated by: Rachel Lloyd
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During her teens, Rachel Lloyd ended up a victim of commercial sexual exploitation. With time, through incredible resilience, and with the help of a local church community, she finally broke free of her pimp and her past and devoted herself to helping other young girls escape "the life". In Girls Like Us, Lloyd reveals the dark world of commercial sex trafficking in cinematic detail and tells the story of her groundbreaking nonprofit organization: GEMS.
-
-
Rachel Lloyd is an Amazing Woman
- By joan m. on 01-14-22
By: Rachel Lloyd
-
Them Before Us
- Why We Need a Global Children's Rights Movement
- By: Katy Faust, Stacy Manning
- Narrated by: Katy Faust
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This well-researched book identifies the wide-ranging harms resulting from mother- and father-loss, and it provides a roadmap for effective children’s rights advocacy. Whether you’re seeking to make sense of your own fractured childhood, or yearn to prevent similar struggles for the next generation, Them Before Us will equip you to be the adult who should have advocated for you as a child. By defending children’s rights, we protect the heart of every child and set a course that will decimate a myriad of the social ills currently plaguing our world.
-
-
well...
- By Milea Kirst on 12-12-24
By: Katy Faust, and others
-
Barbarians Inside the Gates and Other Controversial Essays
- By: Thomas Sowell
- Narrated by: Leon Nixon
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A collection of essays that discusses such issues as the media, immigration, the minimum wage, and multiculturalism.
-
-
Mr. Sowell exposed the soul of America.
- By rutituti. on 11-24-23
By: Thomas Sowell
-
Relentless Pursuit
- My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein
- By: Bradley J. Edwards, Brittany Henderson - contributor
- Narrated by: Steven Weber, Bradley Edwards
- Length: 13 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In June 2008, Florida-based victims’ rights attorney Bradley J. Edwards was 32-years-old and had just started his own law firm when a young woman named Courtney Wild came to see him. She told a shocking story of having been sexually coerced at the age of 14 by a wealthy man in Palm Beach named Jeffrey Epstein. Edwards, who had never heard of Epstein, had no idea that this moment would change the course of his life. Over the next 10 years, Edwards devoted himself to bringing Epstein to justice, and came close to losing everything in the process.
-
-
Excellent
- By TruthSeeker on 04-03-20
By: Bradley J. Edwards, and others
-
Truths
- The Future of America First
- By: Vivek Ramaswamy
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon, Vivek Ramaswamy
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Today’s conservatives know what they’re against. They’re anti-woke, anti-globalist, anti-big government. But what exactly do they stand for? The fact that this is a hard question to answer is a damning indictment of the modern Republican Party which has abjectly failed to articulate an affirmative alternative to the left’s vision. Ramaswamy calls on the conservative movement to articulate exactly what it stands for, or else warns of another illusory “red wave” in 2024.
-
-
A Modern Day “Common Sense”
- By Daniel Taylor on 09-24-24
By: Vivek Ramaswamy
-
Government Gangsters
- The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy
- By: Kash Pramod Patel
- Narrated by: Richard Cefalos
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A sinister cabal of corrupt law enforcement personnel, intelligence agents, and military officials at the highest levels of government plotted to overthrow a president. Even after they failed, they continue to secretly pull the levers of power without any accountability to the American people. This isn’t the synopsis of a fictional spy thriller. This is what is actually happening in the United States government.
-
-
A Book Whose Time Has Come
- By 20eagle16 on 09-30-23
-
The Academy
- By: Patrick Bet-David
- Narrated by: Michael Rahhal
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ashur Yonan is going nowhere fast: an eighteen-year-old college dropout living with a mom who doesn’t understand him, mourning the death of his father five years earlier and working a dead-end food service job. The only good thing he has going for him is his girlfriend Kiki, but she’s leaving soon for college on the East Coast. It’s getting harder for Ashur to believe he still has the potential to make something great out of his life.
-
-
An interesting read.
- By Walter on 11-15-24
-
Quit Porn and Get Rich
- The Unspoken Rule of Successful People
- By: Martin Prescott
- Narrated by: Chad Loomis
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many situations we face require a particular predisposition and specific behavior. We often can’t behave properly, not only because of a lack of awareness, but also because of limitations posed by our bodies. It is very interesting how much depends on the well-being and physical fitness of your body. Unfortunately, many people don’t know much about the processes that drive it. I will do my best to make sure that in this book you learn about important issues related to your physical well-being and how to use them in practice.
-
-
Glad I found it
- By Anonymous User on 05-06-21
By: Martin Prescott
-
Your Brain on Porn
- Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction
- By: Gary Wilson
- Narrated by: Noah Church
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When high speed Internet became widely available a few years ago, growing numbers of people began to worry that their porn use was running out of control. Far from preparing them for fulfilling relationships, viewing an endless stream of porn videos led to unexpected symptoms.
-
-
very informative!!!!
- By Blacktino!!!!! on 11-16-20
By: Gary Wilson
-
One Nation Under Blackmail, Vol. 1
- The Sordid Union Between Intelligence and Crime that Gave Rise to Jeffrey Epstein
- By: Whitney Alyse Webb
- Narrated by: Grace Noble
- Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Volume one of One Nation Under Blackmail traces the origin of the network behind Jeffrey Epstein and his associates to the merging of organized crime and intelligence networks during World War II, following their most notable activities through the decades.
-
-
A must have
- By Steven Gerweck on 04-04-23
-
Dear Sister
- A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds
- By: Michelle Horton
- Narrated by: Michelle Horton
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In September 2017, a knock on the door upends Michelle Horton’s life: she learns that her sister has just shot her partner and is now in jail. Stunned, Michelle rearranges her life to raise Nikki's two young children alongside her own son. During the investigation that follows, Michelle is shocked to learn that Nikki had been hiding horrific abuse for years. Michelle launches a fight to bring Nikki home, squaring off against a criminal justice system designed to punish the entire family.
-
-
Must listen!
- By Erin Wheeler on 02-04-24
By: Michelle Horton
-
Guilty Creatures
- Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida
- By: Mikita Brottman
- Narrated by: Leon Nixon
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mike and Denise Williams had a tight knit, seemingly unbreakable bond with childhood friends, Brian and Kathy Winchester. The two couples were devout, hardworking Baptists who lived perfect, quintessentially Southern lives. Their friendship seemed ironclad. That is, until December 16, 2000, when Denise’s husband Mike disappeared while duck hunting on Lake Seminole. After no body was found, everyone assumed that Mike had drowned in a tragic accident, his body eaten by alligators. But things took an unexpected turn when Brian Winchester divorced his wife and married Denise.
-
-
Mostly Filler
- By Bootless on 08-15-24
By: Mikita Brottman
-
Zero Footprint
- The True Story of a Private Military Contractor's Covert Assignments in Syria, Libya, and the World's Most Dangerous Places
- By: Simon Chase, Ralph Pezzullo
- Narrated by: Eric Brooks
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Armored cars, burner phones, top-notch weaponry, and top-secret missions - this is the life of today's private military contractor. Like author Simon Chase, many PMCs were once the world's top military operatives, and since retiring from outfits like US Navy SEAL TEAM Six and the UK's Special Boat Service, they have devoted their lives to executing missions too sensitive for the government to acknowledge. Chase reveals here for the first time the operations too hazardous and politically volatile to be officially sanctioned by his employers.
-
-
Read Amazon reviews, not Audible reviews
- By Andrew M on 02-22-16
By: Simon Chase, and others
-
Lost in Trans Nation
- A Child Psychiatrist's Guide Out of the Madness
- By: Miriam Grossman MD
- Narrated by: Miriam Grossman MD
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No child is born in the wrong body, Dr. Grossman reassures us, their bodies are just fine; it’s their emotional lives that need healing. Whether you’re facing a gender identity battle in your home right now, or want to prevent one, you need this book to guide you and your loved ones out of the madness.
-
-
Parents PLEASE READ
- By Kimberly D Naffziger on 09-05-23
-
Scam Me If You Can
- Simple Strategies to Outsmart Today's Rip-off Artists
- By: Frank Abagnale
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are you at risk of being scammed? Former con artist and best-selling author of Catch Me If You Can Frank Abagnale shows you how to stop scammers in their tracks. Maybe you're wondering how to make the scam phone calls stop. Perhaps someone has stolen your credit card number. Or you've been a victim of identity theft. Even if you haven't yet been the target of a crime, con artists are always out there, waiting for the right moment to steal your information, your money, and your life.
-
-
Very basic, full with scary stories, but little actionable information
- By EI on 10-18-19
By: Frank Abagnale
Critic reviews
“The sinister Pornhub porn barons have met their match in Laila Mickelwait. This impassioned book gives eye-popping insights into the darkest corners of the internet and offers hope for the future.”—Edward Lucas, author, investigative journalist, former senior editor at The Economist
“In Takedown, Mickelwait gives us what every generation desperately needs: an honest, human story of how we can live our lives with a love that does not look away and a hope that does not give in. I could not put this book down.”—Gary Haugen, CEO and founder of International Justice Mission, author of Locust Effect
“Takedown is the thrilling and inspirational tale of Laila Mickelwait’s relentless leadership of the campaign against the dark empire of Pornhub. This story of triumph is a must-read for anyone who wants to make a difference.”—Gerald Posner, attorney, Pulitzer finalist, and author of Case Closed and God’s Bankers
What listeners say about Takedown
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joe bennion
- 07-31-24
Informative
Well written and exciting, devastating with a call to action to fight for your own cause.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A
- 07-23-24
Great book
Liked this read a lot. Good overview on what goes on behind the scenes in this sketchy industry.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TDG
- 09-06-24
Captivating story, excellent narrative
Fascinating retelling of one person’s impact in holding a major porn website accountable for illegal content. I was familiar with the news stories about the situation but the book gives a much richer insight to the arduous process. A worthwhile read for anyone interested in human trafficking.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kimberly Davis
- 08-02-24
Riveting
These bums never anticipated running into one woman of substance. What a testimony of resilience of a modern day Esther. Bravo!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
impact information
this book provides a surprising amount of information on sex trafficking rapes abuses and world wide organizations behind and profiting from it
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lexi
- 09-02-24
Eye-opening
If you haven’t been aware of trafficking before you will definitely be shocked to read this book. And even though you know about it this book will make your jaw drop.
The author has gone through so much research and been in contact with so many people it’s unbelievable the hard work she has put into this book and the course she is fighting for.
Even though I’ve been a true crime reader for many years and have heard a lot of absolutely horrific cases I have to admit the information in this book was very shocking.
It’s a very well written piece however it will leave you uncomfortable every now and then. From time to time I felt nauseous and very uncomfortable.
If you’re faint of heart this book will not be for you.
* This review has been published on multiple platforms
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- gjohnstun
- 04-16-25
Unreal story of courage. Must read. Please read.
I’m not sure if there is a better book to give you strength to overcome whatever you are facing.
This is a book about heroes/heroines. First the victims who overcame and stood up to not only their abusers by stepping into the light, but also the giant distributer that peddled their worst nightmares for profit. Then there are the lawyers, journalists, and activists who have risked so much to fight evil giants in the public arena.
This book defines the word “courage.”
The story is moving and captivating. It’s well written, and the narration is superb.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You Will Not Forget You Read This Book
Investigating a child trafficking incident Mickelwait stumbles upon a child rape pornography crime syndicate. It is sitting there in plain sight and propped up in financing by reputable banks, Visa, Mastercard, and a prominent university. The owners live in affluent neighborhoods. Their families prosper from child rape videos being sold all over the world. Their employees are at the gym, the coffee shop, and parent-teacher conferences. As Mickelwait investigates the "White Collar" community that profits from this misery, the crime syndicate becomes ruthless. Computer hacking, Death threats, Bank accounts vanish as her extended family is targeted, and the hiring of a "reputable public relations firm" places her life and the lives of her family and children in danger. The "reputable attorneys" they hire, rewarded from the proceeds of child rape and white-collar slavery, become ruthless. This crime syndicate and the tribe that profits from misery, has spread all over the world. Media outlets are paid to print slander to destroy her reputation and ruin her life. The story is a thriller. The shocking reality is that so many "fine outstanding professionals" have a sadistic disregard for the tortured victims when it comes to collecting a paycheck. The company profits from the mentally disturbed with voyeurism disorders and sadism disorders. The child rape industry is a highly profitable part of the commercial sex industry. Your average citizen isn't aware of their wealthy neighbors and professional friends next door who profit from this misery and the criminal societies that pass for the "entertainment industry". Mickelwait is a genius in her moves to bring justice into this underbelly of existence. This is not a book you can forget you read..
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- N.A.
- 08-13-24
Fantastic! Tough but necessary to know…
How great it is that people like this author and others that she mentioned are doing so much good in the world. Let’s all do our part! Bravo!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Edward
- 02-01-25
the authors veracity
The story was fulfilling in taking down porn hub. The author was tenacious in the efforts.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!